idon'teatthat!
what to cook when you're hosting a vegetarian or carnivore
by Patricia Virella| 1
234

Itís
not about the unpacked boxes, the new furniture, the fresh paint: no,
for me at least, a new abode doesnít quite feel like home until Iíve
shared a long evening of good food, wine, and conversation with some of
my favorite people in the world. Which is why when I moved into my first
apartment, I wanted to have as many of my friends over for dinner as I
possibly could, and soon.I
would get to show off my grand ability to throw wonderful dinner feasts,
and give the new digs a proper housewarming.

I
was in for more of a challenge than I realized, though, when I asked my
friend Sandflower over for a meal.From our complicated Ė and very different Ė eating habits
Iíve learned how to cook for those who donít necessarily eat what I
do.Hereís how to cook
for everyone Ö and not kill yourself in the process.

vegetarian
in the house!

The
day my vegan girlfriend agreed to come over for a lunch gathering with
some other friends of ours, I figured Iíd take the easy entertaining
route, and prepare my regular sandwich/salad buffet.Iíd cover all bases by offering a cornucopia of foods like tuna
salad, chicken salad, cold cuts, fruit, and cheeses, and let everyone
feast in whatever way suited their fancy. Problem was, Sandflower
didnít eat anything except the fruit.I was dumbfounded, and felt horrible that my cluelessness had
left my good friend out in the pasture.

leave
the meat alone!

Having
a vegetarian or vegan in the house can present numerous problems for the
common carnivore, but it doesnít have to.You CAN learn to cook delicious dishes that are chock full of
vegetables and feature a completely meatless sauce.Try this easy method for making vegetarian/vegan-friendly foods:
just take a dish that you normally cook, then subtract the meat or
dairy, or substitute with a ďmeatyĒ veggie, like portabella
mushrooms or beans. Make your favorite pasta sauce without the ground
beef and/or sausage; try a spicy stir-fry with loads of yummy Asian
vegetables, or an Indian veggie masala.Just because you may normally put meat in a dish doesnít
necessarily mean it calls for it. This tactic, naturally, works best
when the meat and dairy portions arenít the main ingredients of the
dish Ė a fettucine alfredo without the butter and cream, for instance,
leaves you with little more than pasta with salt.